Clearly, this amount of running places a huge physical stress on the body. However, with good management of training load, the accumulated physical stress leads to cardiorespiratory adaptations that facilitate progressively improved performance.

This is particularly beneficial to marathon running because the fastest runners complete the marathon at an intensity of 75% of VO2 max for the duration of the race. This is much higher than recreational runners who complete the marathon at 60% of VO2 max.

Elite distance runners also have better running economy compared to other runners, meaning they use smaller quantities of oxygen and energy to maintain a given speed.

Together, these physiological qualities allow elite distance runners to maintain higher velocities for a much longer period of time than other runners.

Ideal anatomy and optimising biomechanics

Both anatomical and biomechanical factors affect distance running performance. Anatomy refers to the the actual structure of the body, while biomechanics describes the motion of living organisms.

Phases and tendons

The running stride can be broken down into a number of phases – the absorption phase is from the moment the foot contacts the ground to the point where the knee is at maximum flexion in mid-stance. The propulsion phase is from this point to the moment that the foot leaves the ground (toe off).

During the propulsion phase, the leg is pushing against the ground and the body is propelled forwards and upwards. Better runners reduce energy cost by optimising these forwards and upwards movements. This is done by aligning the direction of force with the axis of the leg during the propulsion phase.

The Achilles is like a spring and acts to save energy and augment propulsion during the stride. It does this by stretching and storing energy during the absorption phase, and releasing the stored energy during propulsion to reduce the mechanical work required from the muscles.

To run this fast, elite runners possess a combination of inherent anatomical, physiological and biomechanical attributes that are optimised through large training volumes. These factors set them apart from sub-elite and recreational runners and they define the athletes racing at major championships.

But will these attributes determine who wins the Commonwealth Games marathon? In the context of winning an elite-level race such as the Commonwealth games marathon, the winner must of course be psychologically and nutritionally prepared.

However, the winner will no doubt have maximised their physiology and fully optimised their individual biomechanics over many thousands of kilometres in training.